


late night healing

by SalazarTipton



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Crash Fest 2019, Gen, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Siblings, References to Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 06:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19717732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: Max wakes up to a sound outside his window in the middle of the night...prompt: Max and Michael being brothers





	late night healing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enchantable](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantable/gifts).



> for sam!! :D

Max’s eyes flutter open. Something woke him up, but his mind is too foggy and still caught up in whatever it was he was dreaming about to put the pieces into place. He inhales, sitting up on his elbow. A quick rap against his window reverberates in the quiet darkness of his room. He rolls his eyes and swings his legs out from under the blankets. It’s a familiar motion—getting up and walking across his room blind aside from the moonlight coming in from his window as he unlatches the lock and swings the window out into the yard. A hand comes up to catch it. 

“This better be for a good reason. We have a test second period tomorrow,” Max says with a sleep-gruff strain to his words. 

Michael clambors into his room. Max holds out a hand to steady him when his boot catches on the sill. 

“Hey, you alright?” he asks. 

He can see the outline of Michael’s curls against the window shake with his head. It’s been a while since he went nonverbal, but thankfully Max slides right into his role like all the old times with the foster family before his current group home. 

“Why don’t you sit on the bed? I’ll get the light, okay?”

Michael sidesteps him and lowers himself onto the mattress slowly. Max flicks on the light and squeezes his eyes shut the second he realizes the sort of state his brother is in: his lip is split mingling with the now dried blood that must have dripped down from his nose and he’s holding his arm against his chest like he’s afraid to move it. Max takes a few breathes in before kneeling in front of Michael on the floor. 

“Let’s get you fixed up.” 

He flinches away when Max reaches up to his face, but leans back in a moment later with a frown. He looks so small and fragile. If Max had his way, Michael would always be his big, vibrant self full of sarcasm and a wide grin. He might not be able to right all the wrongs against Michael that’s led to all this, but he can at least heal him and give him a safe place to clean up and sleep through the night. 

The light above them flickers just as Max’s hand begins to heat against his cheek. Michael’s eyes close, forcing the wetness along his waterline to drip down into a few tears. Max’s eyes follow suit as he focuses on healing his brother. As his powers wash over him, the bond that’s waned in the years Michael was away from Roswell flutters in the back of his mind. He’s too caught up in the feeling of Michael back in his mind that he doesn’t notice how his lips are trembling and the tears are flowing freely now. 

Instead he feels what Michael went through with each single blow and hit that left these marks now fading under his touch. Max couldn’t help the rage bubbling up within his chest--the thoughts of what he could do to those so-called authority figures that are supposed to be keeping Michael safe. 

When the lights stop flickering and Max’s hand fades back to its normal self, they both sag into each other. Michael’s head falls forward onto Max’s shoulder. They take a moment to collect themselves. When Michael pulls himself up, Max realizes he’s started falling asleep on his lap. 

“Come on, man. You need to sleep,” Michael says, speaking around the dry tightens still caught in his throat. He pulls Max up and settles him back where he was before Michael woke him up. “See you at school.”

“Wait,” Max says, reaching out to stop Michael by the elbow. “Stay here. I can’t have you…” 

They both know what he can’t manage to find the words for. Their bond is still whispering in the back of their heads.  _ I need to know you’re safe; I need you right now; Don’t let me be alone _ .

Michael swallows and after a beat nods. He steps back giving him enough space to get his boots off and strip down out of his jeans before sitting down on the opposite side of the bed. Just as his head hits the pillow Max curses. 

“What?”

“I forgot the light. Hang on--” Before Max can get up, the light flicks off. “Oh, thanks.”

He feels Michael shrug more than he sees it. “Nah. Thank you,” he whispers into the dark room.

* * *

“Max! Come on, we have to leave in, like, ten minutes,” Isobel’s calls just outside the door. She creaks it open slow enough to give him time to cover up or stop her from seeing anything they’d both wish she didn’t. Instead of finding her twin getting ready for school though, he’s still in bed and he’s not alone. 

Michael is beside him sprawled out with his head on Max’s chest--taking up over half of the bed in the process. Isobel can’t help the smile spreading over her face as she walks into the room, shutting the door behind herself, but it falters when Michael’s cheek come into view. A telltale shimmering handprint is cradling his face. She cuts off her gasp by slapping her hand over her mouth. For Michael to come here and let Max heal him--especially somewhere so visible--it must have been bad. 

She backtracks out of the room before they realize she’s there and head out to the kitchen where her mom is waiting to drive them. By the time Max wakes up, leaving Michael to sleep in a bit more the house is empty aside from Isobel sitting in the living room with MTV on in the background. 

“Mom realized how sick we were and called us out. We get to take the make-up test tomorrow--if we’re feeling better. She vouched for Michael too,” Isobel says with a wink. 

“Thank you, Izzy.”

She shrugs. “What are sister’s for?”

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know what you think! we so need some more gentle sibling moments. come find me on tumblr: bialiencowboy


End file.
